


Take a turn and see his smile

by orphan_account



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 13:58:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13789185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Liquid is sent to confront Mantis and things don't go as they should. Actually, they are far worse.





	Take a turn and see his smile

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by David Bowie's Shadow Man, written for mgswinterchallenge.
> 
> It's a pure edginess and last few paragraphs should be read in slow motion, listening to the said [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzb7ZD7vTik). No beta, so be aware of the grammar.

“Wolf went to confront him.”

“Then it is solved!”

“She never came back.”

The words still echoed in his head. 

What was the problem anyway. As long as nothing about their plan leaked, there was no need for full genome soldier unit, they were dispensable. They all could get rid of ones they didn’t find incommodious. Except Mantis has been doing that way often, almost regularly at this point.

Deep down behind his anger, Liquid was worried about his friend. He refused to trust Ocelot, when he told him that Mantis was losing his remaining sanity. Not when he put it, as if he was an old dog, who could no longer distinguish his own paw from edible object, only waiting to be put down.

“Did you read Steinbeck, Boss? It’s better when you do it.”

Liquid had seen the movie and now he wished he did not. He would have killed Ocelot right after the words left his mouth, if not for Raven grabbing him and holding him back.

“Calm down, boss. He’s just taunting you.” He said as Liquid squirmed in his arms, screaming that he will put down Ocelot instead.

So now he walked through the corridors of Shadow Moses base, so annoyed and so angry at everyone but his friend, who was supposed to be the source of the trouble. It was almost surreal, how quiet everything around was. If he ever paid attention to his environment he would have noticed the first omen of an incoming difficulties. 

It wasn’t until he came to the last corridor heading to the office, that he saw Wolf leaning to the door. She seemed tranquil. Just as he opened his mouth, she lifted her head and looked at him.

“Wolf?”

There was something in her eyes that he didn't like, something slightly disturbing in the way she looked at him, but he couldn’t quite find out what it was.

“Is Mantis okay now?” He asked, but instead of answer she turned her back to him, as she walked towards the office

He watched her disappear behind the door and had no choice but follow.

In the office nothing seemed different. He expected goreful scene, bodies of soldiers of guards all around with blood and brains painting the walls, just as Ocelot described the last anxiety attack of Mantis, but there weren't any marks of massacre here. 

Wolf calmly stood in the middle of the room, her gaze down. He checked the corner of his eye for Mantis, but he seemed absent.

Before he could do dl any further move, she spoke.

“Eli.” She said under her breath and he couldn't believe what he heard. It was wrong he must have imagined it. 

“What?” He walked forward her and she mimicked his moves, shortening the distance between them.

“What did you say?” He stopped, leaving a respectable gap between them, but she continued to him, almost falling in his arms as he instinctively caught her.

She laid her hand over his cheek, her sharp nails scratching his face and she repeated the word.

“Eli.”

She fell in his arms, losing any hold of her own body. He caught her by instinct and she leaned her forehead on his chest.

She shouldn't know the name, she did not know it it. Only two people in this base beside him knew.

“Mantis.”

Floating he appeared in front of Liquid, his hands up before him, as if his gesticulation really did influenced his powers.

“I must admit boss, you are cleverer than I assumed.”

His remark was forgotten, as the body in his hands went completely loose.

“Wolf?” He pressed her tighter to himself, no pulse in her veins, he knew that if Mantis have done the job, there was no hope for rescue. 

“Mantis, what have you done?” He looked up on his, despair in his eyes.

“Oh, that wasn't me.” His voice jumped, as if he just swallowed a giggle. “She lost her will, when you only asked about me, instead of recognizing what was about to happen.”

He must be toying with him.

“Why Mantis? We are so close to achieving our dream and you decide to ruin it like this?”

“Oh, so it's our dream now.”

“Mantis,” This was hopeless. “Stop playing around and take it seriously. We need- we needed her!”

“Of course, you just had her for your plan.”

Was he? It couldn’t be that after all these years..

“If you were jealous didn't have to-” What did he even want from him now? He just earned his death penalty, just as Ocelot predicted. “If you felt.. You didn’t have to.” He choked on his own words.

“Oh so, now you care about my feelings now.”

This was absurd. This wasn’t Mantis. Couldn’t be. The body in Liquid’s hands was growing heavier and he felt tears of rage in his eyes. Weird, he didn’t feel that angry.

“What's the matter, Mantis?” Please, let it be that she was a spy, he thought hoping that Mantis will at least read his thoughts and repeat them the lie.

“I remembered, Eli.”

“You what?”

“I remembered it all.”

That wasn’t very helpful for his sake.

“My life and your life had always mixed together in my head. But now I know clearly where I begin.”

Liquid closed Wolf’s eyes.

“The first mind I read was my father's. I remember it now. How he hated me and why.”

He laid her body on the floor gently, as if he could do any more damage. She will be burnt in the ovens and scattered over the snow. At the top of her life she won't be buried in a land she could call her own. Maybe her dust will be flown into the ocean and washed up on the eastern shores, where it may at last meet one of her kind.  
“I can't really blame him for it, I realize only now it was never his choice to have me.” He waved his wrist and an invisible force lifted Liquid’s chin up, reminding him it was him, he spoke to.

“You see he did not want me, neither he believed I was truly his. My mother she was a patriot, as ironic as it is, she fought the regime and paid biggest price.”

Liquid couldn't quite figure out what it had to do with him killing his comrade, but every time his mind wandered too much, he got an invisible reminder who he should focus on.

“She believed they did it. Hoped that change will come. But she was twenty years too soon, you see. She was there when the army came to save the regime. 1968 in Prague. She stood there as they shot on the museum and instead of an answer for why they did it, was me.”

There was growl of disgust.

“She wanted to get rid of me, my so called father told her to lie, just say she was raped by a gypsy, but she was too irascible for that. She told the abortion commission what happened and they dismissed her, claiming she just cheated on her husband. Great soviet saviours would never rape a comrade. She died to give life to a freak. That were my father's last thoughts. All he wanted was his own son. He promised himself to get over me and have his own after the I am born. Alas I killed his wife. With her name on a list of state enemies, my future was clear. If lucky I could be a stoker, if not I would end up in a mine. But none of that happened and instead, even after his death I managed to make the nightmares of my parents come true and served The Soviet Union until it's end.”

“Mantis.” Liquid didn't realise his mouth was locked shut until it was released. “Why did you kill Wolf?”

“To give you a good reason.”

“Reason for what?” 

His hand was moved to the holster on his hip. Not by his intentions.

“Mantis.”

“That wasn't the only thing I saw.” The gun released itself from its holster and slipped into his hand.

“Mantis-”

“Hush. It's either me or you.”

“And this is what you leave behind for me? Loneliness? With both Wolf and you gone what is there for me? The dream? What will become of our revolution?”

“Revolution. I have quite a history about ruining these. Not only the one my mother failed, it was quite usual in KGB and so it was in FBI. We are only shadows of what our parents were. Both me and you. There’s no revolution. There’s no freedom we could achieve.”

“Mantis.” As if saying his name would change something, when he already firmly held the gun.

“The voices are getting stronger Eli. The mask can't stop them. I’m not sure for how long, but at this point they aren’t just coming from outside anymore.”

He led Liquid’s hand up with his telekinesis and he let him.

“I love you, Mantis.”

It was his task to aim.

Eli.

The bullet pierced the glass of his mask, shattering it. Straight in the eye. He died as fast as bullet allowed, falling down to the floor. Liquid wanted to rage. To kick his body and tore him apart. Instead he catch him falling and pressed him to his chest. 

He felt the despair he knew only from his childhood. For the first time in years, he was all alone. 

He lost both his lovers, the physical and the platonic. It was pure selfishness from Mantis to take Wolf with him. What he thought he would achieve? Was is planned or was it a sudden attack of madness, driven by jealousy? Was Liquid supposed to stop him? Or was it an attempt to stop Liquid? No, Liquid won't stop. He would first see the world on burn before he would allow anyone to break him.

He won’t be a shadow of Big Boss.

He will be greater.

He would fight the whole world, just as he once wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> Mantis' language is to mimic schizophrenia, idk if I managed that. Plan A was not to mention any voices at all and let him slip into different languages during his speech. But I didn't apply it as it is already broken enough without it. Also yes, I created backstory for his mother and it is edgy. Roast me.


End file.
